In Monster, Walter Dean Myers tells the story of Steve Harmon's trial. C. Christopher Smith is the founding editor of The Englewood Review of Books. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. Amazon has encountered an error. for a group? The old newspaper adage still holds true today. Frontier wilderness beasts, Freddie Krueger, witches of Salem, alien invasions, and freak show oddities are some of the monstrous creatures. All rights reserved. IE- minorities = what we are anxious about / obsessed with = the monstrous = monsters. (254) 710-3164. Definitions of the monster, he adds, change over time and with each generation. The horrible treatment of indigenous peoples and slaverys practice is sin that stains Americas history. Satan in America tells the story of America's complicated relationship with the devil. Bram Stoker Award finalist W. Scott Poole is the author of numerous books and articles on monsters and mayhem in popular culture. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. 2715 North Charles StreetBaltimore, Maryland, USA 21218. A lot of people gave it poor reviews, maybe because they didn't like what the author plainly demonstrated, that the real monsters in America are the Americans, mainly the white Americans. Freedman, Jonathan. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. I had trouble finding a consistent narrative in a book that talked about sea monsters, Bigfoot, Universal Movie Monsters, Freak-shows, and several other topics, and never spending enough time on any of them to feel like I was more informed after reading. Steve calls the movie Monster because that is what the prosecutor has called him. Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2014. Dallas Willard Books Seven Essential Titles to Read! Poole has set the bar ridiculously high for any future research exploring the locus of historical and cultural studies, particularly as it pertains to the horrific. Monsters In America challenges, enlightens, and, quite honestly, frightens in its prescient view of American history, as well as the seeming ubiquity of the monsters of our past and probable future. Whats worse is how these monster images exist even until today. Trick-or-treat! can only mean one thingHalloween. An excellent study for any student of history or media but also fun and accessible for any fan of monsters and the movies. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Often fascinating attempt to look at monsters through the lens of American history, Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2011. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past, Monsters in America uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. James King has his own lawyer, Asa Briggs. Best Johnny Cash Books Biographies and More! I wasn't ready for the overtly sociological approach of the book, and was expecting a history, as alluded to in the title of the book. Fall 2021 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Briggs establishes that the police had shown photos of King to Mrs. Henry before she picked him out of a lineup. Poole states that, in actuality, that the Europeans saw the natives as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. The book reflects on the. Renews March 11, 2023 Instead it's more about the social function of the monsterous and why people believe what they believe and how different folkloric monsters became popular at different times in history. Petrocelli presents the charges against the defendants. Written in an accessible, smart and entertaining way, this is a fantastic book. An excellent history of the American obsession with monsters, Poole analyzes our religious and nationalist beliefs to see how we have dealt with the Other in our long, horrifying existence as a nation. After Steve testifies, OBrien puts Mr. Sawicki, his film teacher, on the stand. It is not just about film and fiction, but the cultural events that mirrored the works on the screen and in our nightmares. Whether your interest is literature, American history, popular culture, race and ethnicity, women's studies, or religion, you would be happy reading this book. Lovecraft in print. Pooles excoriation of one homogenous grouping belies the essence of the problem which is our human nature. When social conservatives oppose something, like - say -. He decides to make a movie about his experience. I do wish the author would've delved into certain subjects more as he did the last half of the book which was very compelling. by W. Scott Poole. I had to read this for a class (one I wasn't too stoked about, if I'm being honest) and went into it with a pretty closed mind. Novelist Sheri Holman calls the book "a subversive masterpiece.". Wasteland: The Great War and the Origins of Modern Horror, On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears. Monster is a 1999 young adult novel by Walter Dean Myers. From 19th century sea serpents to our current Publishers Weekly session with vampires and zombies, Poole plots America's past through its fears in this intriguing sociocultural history. I found it informative, fascinating, thought-provoking and well-written. Finally, in the new section "American Carnage," Poole challenges readers to assess what their own monster tales might be and how our sordid past horrors express themselves in our present cultural anxieties. Insightful and brilliant! Starting with the Puritan era and the fear of witches and ending with the modern-day fascination with the monsters within us, i.e. $24.99 (one code per order). Free trial is available to new customers only. If you view everything that has happened in the last ten thousand years as an atrocity committed by (American) White Anglo-Saxon Protestant men against the wide-eyed, helpless, innocent (and rather stupid) non-male/non-white world in a concerted race (or gender where convenient) war and stolidly ignore all contrary evidence, the world is full of monsters. Yuckfest. He is the author of several books, including a biography of H.P Lovecraft, which became a Bram Stoker award finalist, and. Poole invites us into an important and enlightening, if disturbing, conversation about the very real monsters that inhabit the dark spaces of America's past. Analysis The monster tells Victor:"You must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being." Victor refuses and then later relents to the monster's wishes. Read the chapter-by-chapter Summary & Analysis, a Full Book Summary, or Full Book Analysis of Monster. However, this book was FABULOUS! Just about all the scarey things that crawl into popular media hail from the leaf-littered shadowy forests that haunt the American mind. Not only is it written in a fun, easy to relate to voice, but it is also chock full of info. Marshall1 Jenna Marshall Prof. Goff Writing 1010 12 September 2021 Summary Final In Scott Poole's essay Monsters in America Poole's main claim is that stories of monsters are associated with the troubled history of American history of racism, politics, class prejudice, gender disparity, and how society's fears can be equally showing of our divides. From our colonial past to the present, the monster in all its various forms has been a staple of American culture. Indians, the physically disabled, African-Americans, deep-sea animals or mammals, science is a powerful motivator and caused society to vilify those that do not fit the acceptable mold. Why are we scared of this person? is always a question behind each chapter and Poole is careful to never reduce it purely to matters of sociology or psychology while still using those tools of analysis. Briggs makes the first closing argument in the case. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Instead of representing the "us vs them" mentality, monsters are much closer so home: they are us. "Sick," published by Abrams/Amulet). Monsters in America is W. Scott Pooles interpretive history. Christopher Columbus came to the Americas searching for gold, slaves, and monsters. American Monsters: A History of Monster Lore, Legends, and Sightings in America - Kindle edition by Godfrey, Linda S.. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. From 19th century sea serpents to our current. These summaries should not exceed one page in length. Indeed, Poole interprets the meaning of the meaning, reinterpreting historical narratives infusing past story with present perception: history is horror (22). I heard the author on Coast to Coast, and even though he had that dry, flat Midwestern accent (sort of like Margaret Hamilton in "The Wizard of Oz") I knew I had to get the book. It's rarely happy news being reported. American history from the past to the present. It is a frightening world we live in, yet the horrific things in our literature and culture play a vital part in helping us reach some understanding, and even some peace about them. Thoughts on books, family, and life in one impressive package. After readingMonsters in America, a reader will view monsters in a completely different light. It felt more like I was reading a college midterm (not even open book), and less like strong literary criticism. Now and Always,The Trusted Content Your Research Requires, Now and Always, The Trusted Content Your Research Requires, Built on the Johns Hopkins University Campus. Consulting newspaper accounts, archival materials, personal papers, comic books, films, and oral histories, Poole adroitly illustrates how the creation of the monstrous "other" not only reflects society's fears but shapes actual historical behavior and becomes a cultural reminder of inhuman acts. Component 3: Vocabulary. Paperback; 9781481308823; Published: July 2018; $34.99. Monsters in America is an important contribution, and it will be enjoyed by literary and cultural historians alike. Fall 2022 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! Sometimes it can end up there. Subject I have a lot of interest in and the author seems to have done a lot of work/research. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. With Monsters in America, W. Scott Poole has given us a guidebook for a journey into nightmare territory. It is an alternative view of history through something that is not necessarily studied in such depth and over such a long period of time. What would be made of the differences of the heavy, utilitarian coffee cups of the 1940s compared to the cups featuring Gary Larson cartoons so popular in the 1990s? Jos Delgado, an employee of the drugstore, tells how he found Mr. Nesbitts body and noticed that cash and cigarettes were missing. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Get help and learn more about the design. Definitely would recommend it as a quick read and dive into monster history, as well as a great resource to find other books the author recommends to look into more! Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon, Baylor University Press (January 15, 2014). . It is super nasty, and blood ends up everywhere. The tendency to view American monsters as primarily psychological archetypes ignores how closely they have reflected actual historical events and actual historical victims.". The pages are littered with characterizations which demonize only a conservative set of ideas. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. The jail guards come in, and everyone lines up against the wall while they get rubber-gloved. This item: Monsters in America: Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting by W. Scott Poole Paperback $34.99 The Monster Theory Reader by Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock Paperback $45.11 On Monsters: An Unnatural History of Our Worst Fears by Stephen T. Asma Paperback $28.95 What other items do customers buy after viewing this item? Please use a different way to share. "Rue Morgue" magazine called it "the best biography of H.P. . The kind of monsters depends on the era. W. Scott Poole. While Poole is an academic his book is anything but dry. Poole's book is fantastic, a terrific look at what makes monsters in film resonate in American culture. Twelve Important Theology Books of 2020!!! Solely focused on the horrors, readers would think that no Christian or church stood against the aberration of Scriptural teaching; but such was the case with missionaries and abolitionists. Spring 2021 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! It was just way too "all over the place" for me. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Its a story that begins with the history of the dark lady of late night horror and branches out into a discussion of the Beats, Bebop Jazz, the birth of rock and roll and the social protest movements of the 1960s. Excellent study of the machinery of monsters and their meaning in American history. The author radically departs from the notion that monsters are a metaphor for our fears through the ages. Numerous scholars explore the cultural and political implications of monster and horror films for the times from which they emerge. Few scholars connect such implications across broader expanses of time to reveal how intrinsically monsters and the horrific have been bound up in the history of America. Unless specifically stated in the review, I have purchased all books reviewed. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! A must read for fans of horror and monsters! TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Evans states that King was his partner in the robbery and that Steve served as the lookout. It is not a book on actual monsters but how Americans find monsters in different eras on social constructs. Lovecraft_. Well-written and engaging,Monsters in Americais a must-read for anyone fascinated by history or monsters or both. Harmon explains that in his cell. Especially enlightening is the the animistic portrayal and subsequent fear of African-Americans that has permeated society since they were first brought to the Americas on slave ships. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! In the follow-up to his first book. Penn State folklorist Bill Ellis called the book "required reading for anyone who wants to understand the dark roots of America culture." All content is original and cannot be copied without permission. incredibly rewarding and fulfilling reading. Monsters in America has without a doubt earned a spot on my favorite books of 2011. Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2012. Monsters in America Our Historical Obsession with the Hideous and the Haunting. I also think this could've used a second editor before being published as there are many typos and grammatical errors, as well as a few points that could've used some fact-checking. However, this book was not only as easy read, but incredibly enlightening, eye-opening, and thrilling. Monsters are not just fears of the individual psyche, historian Scott Poole explains, but are concoctions of the public imagination, reactions to cultural influences, social change, and historical events. For him, this place is the opposite of realhe has to do everything in front of strangers. | What is it that rumbles in the American unconscious that relates to the figures we see on the screen. I found it to be a perfect model for critical thinking about the social representations of various popular monsters, and the book led to wonderful class discussions. She coaches Steve on how to answer questions on the witness stand. Victor sees the monster's point of view and agrees to create a mate for the monster. I hoped to expand my interaction in the genre, albeit from an American point of view. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Historian W. Scott Poole distinguishes himself by focusing on the American context, providing a history told through the personified expressions of our anxieties and fears. Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2021. Copyright Thats What She Read 2009-2013. For Poole Halloween means more trick than treat; we discover that the monsters are us. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. SparkNotes PLUS Monsters In America challenges, enlightens, and, quite honestly, frightens in its prescient view of American history, . I appreciated that in this second edition he shows how our language of the monstrous has played a role in instances like the police shootings of unarmed black people and how visions of dread play into Donald Trump's rhetoric. What becomes disturbingly apparent is that most of Americas hatred of the Other is based in Christian religious belief. Spring 2022 Most Anticipated Books for Christian Readers! (The medical examiners evidence suggests that the shooter was probably right-handed.) Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Interesting as a surface-level exploration of "Monster Theory". Bolden testifies that he bought cigarettes from Bobo Evans and that Evans told him about the robbery. But too often he ascribes American injustices with little more than a metaphorical connection to monster movies. Just watch any local news program and you'll see what I mean. You can find more scary stories from him on Twitter: @monstersamerica. Hardback: Baylor University Press, 2011. He argues that our myth of conquering the monster has made us particularly inclined to turn other groups of human beings into monsters and to justify their oppression or domination. for a customized plan. Conflicting anxieties about race, class, gender, sexuality, religious beliefs, science, and politics manifest as haunting beings among the populace. America, like all nations, is made up of monstrous human beings. Historian W. Scott Poole distinguishes himself by focusing on the American context, providing a history told through the personified expressions of our anxieties and fears. Steve calls the movie Monster because that is what the prosecutor has called him. I. Poole is also a Professor of History at the College of Charleston where he teaches courses on monsters in American history, Satan in folk belief and pop culture and the history of religion and race in American life . I often use this in my Freshman Writing courses to show that writing doesn't have to be boring. Evil brutes exist inside and outside American neighborhoods. One Bear Place 97363, Waco, TX 76798-7363 Reading this for research for a paper I am writing for a creative nonfiction class for college, but what an interesting book regardless! Please try again. But then, I dislike any historical book that loses its sense of historical relativity as well as any book about phenomena that automatically assumes a phenomenon is false and therefore ripe for being disproved and easily rationalized away. This well-written and thought provoking book examines what scares us and what monsters in popular entertainment have to say about our fears and values in society. An unexpected guilty pleasure! More than mere metaphors, they are creations of human fears and human ignorance. In 2016, he wrote the Bram Stoker Finalist _In the Mountains of Madness: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of H.P. new monsters appear as American society evolves, paralleling fluctuating challenges to the cultural status quo. When meeting the natives, he saw their way of life as barbaric and uncivilized. Sometimes it can end up there. All content on this blog is protected under US copyright by Michelle Shannon. It was the first-ever Michael L. Printz Award recipient, an ALA Best Book, a Coretta Scott King Honor selection, and a National Book Award finalist. During the robbery, Aguinaldo Nesbitt, the fifty-five-year-old owner of the store, was killed. Insightful and brilliant! This book is a wonderful introduction to American history through the lens of monsters. Suppose someone wanted to trace American history through the common coffee cup. The little monsters who come to our doors for candy at Halloween are small reminders of our large problem. Unfortunately, however, the writing just reads as super amateurish and unnatural--to the point where your brain feels exhausted after slogging through only a couple pages. Petrocelli also calls an eyewitness, Mrs. Lorelle Henry, to the stand. This book is a wonderful introduction to American history through the lens of monsters. 20% Detectives Karyl and Williams describe their arrival at the crime scene. I think that what makes the book riveting is that despite the particular social factors and grisly historical events, the book is about the Other in media. These summaries should not . Martin Luther King, Jr. His Prophetic Faith in 15 Quotes, Important Discipleship and Formation Books A Reading Guide Fall 2020, Frederick Buechner Books An Introductory Reading Guide. Jacques Ellul Books An Introductory Reading Guide. uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity. This book is really good, a look at our monsters in a social conceptional way. We've quickly looked at a wide variety of Native Cultures across the Americas. Forged from a partnership between a university press and a library, Project MUSE is a trusted part of the academic and scholarly community it serves. If it bleeds, it reads. Penn State folklorist Bill Ellis called the book "required reading for . Monsters in America: Societal values impact individuals only as much as we understand an individuals values. Please provide specific examples to support your answers. If you're looking for an introductory book to the subject, it's a great resource. Dorothy Moore, a cousin of Kings, testifies that King was with her at the time of the robbery. W. Scott Poole is Professor of History at the College of Charleston. Produced by Johns Hopkins University Press in collaboration with The Sheridan Libraries. Honoring authors by not reading other reviews ahead of time, I anticipated simple engagement with monstrous intrigue of the horrendous and hideous. Author W. Scott Poole takes a look at America's fascination with the macabre in his book. Poole's examples are well-chosen and well-explicated. A.They would back the federal government against another state B.They would support, What issue was at the root of the nullification crisis of 1832, which turned many Virginia Republicans against Andrew Jackson? Browning's research, including extensive field work in New Orleans, has uncovered a subculture of . Monsters in America does a phenomenal job examining American history through the lens of monsters and the monstrous. The two defense counsels, OBrien and Briggs, establish that the witnesses are testifying for the State in return for reduced sentences. The author radically departs from the notion that monsters are a metaphor for our fears through the ages. But real monsters collect different trophies; they are no laughing matter. While Poole is an academic his book is anything but dry. Mrs. Henry testifies to being in the drugstore and seeing two young Black men arguing with the store owner. If one would like to get into the spirit of monster mania during Halloween, no better place to begin is with the books that generated monster madness: Dracula, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and The Island of Dr. Moreau. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. He rightly frets over our technology which ineffectively obscures the divine and so Americans create vampire stories which take Gods place (59): Americans are still attempting to apprehend mystery in the midst of supernatural confusion (11). to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Academic, yet very accessible, I was fascinated by this book, and it holds a very special distinction as the only book I was required to buy for a college class that has Poole's book is fantastic, a terrific look at what makes monsters in film resonate in American culture. Contact us Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The Best C.S. Mark Eckel is Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Professor of Old Testament at Crossroads Bible College. Classic Gratitude Poems Joy Harjo, Mary Oliver, MORE. It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. )1980-present and discuss ways in which the monsters of the era are the products of historical change, conflict and context. However, his interpretations and implications are nothing less than threatening to whatever status quo our authorities would prefer us to maintain. I thought this was gonna be about different monsters from American folklore. Then it is OBriens turn to present the defense of Steve. (Christopher James Blythe, Florida State University, (John W. Morehead, editor, www.TheoFantastique.com). In her closing argument for the State, Petrocelli stresses the importance of the stolen cigarettes in proving who committed the crime. Available Not only that, but Sandra Petrocelli, the State prosecutor, is a very good lawyer. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Excellent study of the machinery of monsters and their meaning in American history. A masterful survey of our grim and often disturbing past, Monsters in America uniquely brings together history and culture studies to expose the dark obsessions that have helped create our national identity.Monsters are not just fears of the individual psyche, historian Scott Poole explains, but are concoctions of the public imagination, reactions to cultural influences, social change, and historical events. Connect with him online at: C-Christopher-Smith.com, "This book will inspire, motivate and challenge anyone who cares a whit about the written word, the world of ideas, the shape of our communities. What could we extrapolate on the ways we lived and what we believed during each era? Renews March 11, 2023 For the record, I'm *not* well versed on the horror genre due to my fear of almost every popular culture monster. The brother of Zeus and Poseidon, Hades rules the underworld, the realm of the dead, with his wife, Persephone. Simplistic and not incredibly thoughtful, but useful for my purposes, Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2012. In a nutshell, monsters for Poole are metaphors / stand-ins for whoever is loathed or feared in a certain historical context. I hated this book. If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Pooles book becomes a tired screed against those whose political-social viewpoints are antithetic to his own. I have read Mr. Poole's work before, so I knew I was in for a treat and I was right. Not only do they continue to live in our midst, but, as historian Scott Poole shows, these monsters are an important part of our pasta hideous obsession America cannot seem to escape.Pooles central argument in Monsters in America is that monster tales intertwine with Americas troubled history of racism, politics, class struggle, and gender inequality. as uncivilized people and even believed them to be monsters. A well informed, thoughtful, and indeed frightening angle of vision to a persistent and compelling American desire to be entertained by the grotesque and the horrific. Friday afternoon, July 17th & December, 5 months later. Monster is told as a first-person account by Steve Harmon, a Black teenager on trial for felony murder in New York. Here's where you'll find analysis of the main themes, motifs, and symbols in Monster. This is an important book that Id recommend very highly. Students will maintain a list of unfamiliar words they come across in the chapter. Monstrosities exist in us and therefore they are all around us. He decides to make a movie about his experience. Thanks to Poole's insights we see the ubiquity of the monster lurking in and around us. Monsters in America does a bang-up job of demonstrating how our culture helps us achieve some sort of understanding about our world and our lives. American history comes at us dripping with gore, victims lying scattered on the ground, eldritch moonlight revealing creeping horrors you never learned from your eighth grade history textbook. Even fewer scholars do so as adeptly and as entertainingly as W. Scott Poole. I want to start out by saying that I absolutely love the notion behind this book.
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